Thursday, March 31, 2011

Howard Keel is AMAZING

Here's for yesterday, I got distracted.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJLCKhcZ7uo

Also, my dvd player bit the dust.  I have ordered the $27 replacement...hope that turns out to be a good decision.

Off to work now, also to call my mother I meant to do that all day yesterday.
~m

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

All things Bright & Beautiful

I've given in a bit too much to my personal gray cloud lately.  Pain does that to me.  So in an effort to shift my focus toward brighter better things I'm going to try posting a picture, song, or link here every day that isn't depressing.  Perhaps even a silly thing. I'll try to fit in a bit of my regular blog  along the way, but if all you get is a pic, you'll know it's all I was up for.

So here's today:
Kelcee & Leisa, two of my favorite people.  Kelcee is a real life Rodeo Princess (has been since before she could walk), and Leisa is one of my one of a kind aunts.  She helped raise me and always encouraged my love of animals.
So for an update, my back's still out, but with the aid of my cane I was able to do a full day at work without faceplanting or screaming.  The stress there has hopefully climaxed & will back off...they're not my details to share, but I can say that the same problem that had me tied in knots back in December came to a sudden head at work.  But that problem source is now banned from visiting, so things should be better.

Thom & Judy should be coming through town this weekend, it seems like I haven't seen them in forever.  They've both been under the weather so I'm hoping they leave their germs in AZ and only bring their wonderful selves up here.

G'nite all.
~m

Monday, March 28, 2011

oh dear

I was rather more correct about grumpy muscles than I knew.  Yesterday I got up and began my morning routine, only to realize that there was going to be nothing routine about my day....my back was severely out & sending screaming nerve pain down my leg....up my back....and at times into my head.  Once I got myself back onto the bed Scott brought me a book, a ginger ale, my heat pad, and a bottle of ibuprofen.  That is where i stayed most of the day.  When he returned from helping Matt move several hours later he helped me relocate to the couch.  I spent the remainder of the day there-being VERY careful about how I moved.  Today I am a little better, but couldn't bend enough to put jeans on & so decided it might be best if I stayed home from work.  There are just too many familiar things lately that remind me of how my back was before I went down for the count years ago.  I can't/won't be home bound again.  Besides, my wheelchair is being put to better use by Lynn.  I need to change something in order to stop pushing myself into the ground.  I've cut back my home & hobbies to nearly nothing...so I'm looking at cutting down what I can do for work.  That's really frustrating since I love my job & I'm nervous about giving any of it up.  But in previous times when I had this sort of pain & was getting sick as often as I have been the next thing was days long migraines.  I can't go there.  So I'll make whatever changes I need to.  Including going to the doctor.

I'd better go find some lunch and another pill.
Live Long & Prosper
~m

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Cat House

So Royla's coming back....it's not shiny, & I've done everything I can...so I'm accepting it and moving on.  Last night her people informed me that they haven't found another option.  So I'll be bringing her home soon to be an outdoor cat here.  Last night I did a bunch of research & drew up blueprints and a shopping list.  Today I cut back my favorite rose bush to make space for an outdoor cat shelter (I will not be doing any more pruning this year cuz it killed my back).  We went to the hardware & pet stores, and my AMAZING husband helped me build the shelter.  It's turning out quite nicely & I'll post pictures soon (I already took a few but can't sit here long enough to load and post them.  I'm off to research heat options & then stretch out my grumpy muscles on the couch.  Happy Saturday!
~m

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Crisp Fail

Today was an odd sort of in-between day.  Work was slow, the nerve pain in my leg & back was ridiculous, and I had a bunch of errands to run.  Also, I was forced to acknowledge that at least 2 pairs of my jeans were no longer work place appropriate (I have a horrible habit of storing a knife in my back pocket when my hands get full).  Fortunately, I could do what little work I needed to do while sitting on the floor stretching the spasm, I got a circular with a great coupon from Fashion Bug, and I had that credit card in my purse.  So I got everything I needed done, found pants I don't hate at the store (as well as Tshirts I don't hate), got to the grocery store for cabbage (to go with corned beef tomorrow) and dinner makins for tonight, and even bought apples to make a crisp.  Which failed.

I was planning to use our mandoline slicer for 'wafer thin' slices.  FAIL.  The mandoline is MISSING. As in neither Scott or I can find it.  Not in the camper, not in any of the cupboards, not on any of the shelves....just gone.  Neither of us can remember where or for what we last used it either....so it will likely show up someplace really strange when we're not looking for it.  In the meantime I've pretty much decided to replace it with a little nicer one & put that one in the camper when it surfaces.  Yes, we're the kind of freaks who would make room in our teeny tiny camper for a mandoline (it's lightweight & absolutely necessary for about 4 of our favorite dishes).

Anyhow, I finally abandoned hope of slicing my apples on the mandoline & used my not insignificant, but not nearly as uniform knife skills.  Other than downsizing Betty Crocker's apple crisp recipe I followed the directions exactly...& failed!  Crunchy sour apples in some bites & mushy sweet in others.  Fortunately a bad apple crisp is still way better than a lot of other things.  Especially a la mode.  I've just buttered the top crust & re-baked  the remaining crisp...shouldn't make it any worse, and might make it amazing.  I'm hoping.  OMG, just realized I completely left out the cinnamon & nutmeg...lol...still doesn't explain the texture issues, & I'm actually surprised I didn't notice it in the flavor.  LOL.  Guess I'll be making crisp again soon with all the right stuff.

You now see how strange my day was & how off I've been lately.  Not pouting, I found clothes I don't hate, made food that didn't suck & was sorta healthy, and didn't hate this day.
Hope y'all can say the same or (hopefully) better.
-m

Monday, March 14, 2011

Found my rainbow.

When I logged on just now I was here to do one thing; delete my blog.  And in the last 60 seconds I've laughed, cried, and for now changed my mind.  I guess I should start by stating that my bad day started around 2am last night and has only gone downhill.  I've gone from angry to disgusted, to numb & back several times over.  I don't want to go into details, and it's not any specific thing or person, it's just everything.  I think I just hit bottom & bounced hard. I only started to feel at all better when the tears started rolling.

While I was looking for the right place to begin the process of deleting I was notified that I had one comment waiting to be published.  Since I haven't posted lately, and what posts I've made have been mostly whiny I was surprised. Marnie, thanks.  Your comment helped me remember why I blog.  I had to go back and re-read my post to remember what it was about.  Remembering that good day helped center me.   Writing out my thoughts sometimes helps me focus on the positive.

Gotta go do something  mindless that doesn't involve pain for a bit now.
~m

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Quick

No real solutions to the Royla problem.  I'm still trying to motivate them to do the right thing.  IF she comes here she will have to be an outside cat & that's gonna be really confusing for her.  She lived inside with us for 2 years while I found her a home & then again for 4 months before Mel & Mike convinced me to let them adopt her.  She's had a much rougher history than she deserves.  I am literally being forced to choose between my children.  For me that's what my pets are.  Sadly the pet I'd be happiest to put outside right now is OSCAR.  He's a little BEAST!  Unpredictable, cute one second & then biting holes in me the next.  He screamed into my ear Sunday (while snuggling & cooing) triggering the worst migraine I've had in years. I'm doing research, modifying our habits & trying to figure out what has him so off kilter.  Hope it changes soon.

Fran's going to a trade show this weekend, so I'll be working extra hours & covering the bases while she's gone.  It's prolly gonna be a long weekend.
~m

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Out of the Blue

Tonight I got a message from Royla's mom.  She's moving & can't keep her, want's to know if I "want her back".  What the hell am I supposed to say?!?  We do not have room in our home for another cat, but I'll be damned (Mom I'm sorry, but I can't bring myself to use heck & darn right now) if I'll let her go to a shelter & be euthanized.  She is a good cat who never asked more from the world than a safe place to sleep and someone to love.  I've done my best for her twice now and apparently failed.  These people BEGGED me to let them have her when I wasn't sure I wanted to let her go.  Now they're giving her till April 1st. 

It is just SO depressing.  I'm MAD, and heart broken, and I don't know what to do other than try to inspire this person to find some kind of solution and offer to be the last ditch option even though I know it's gonna be a mess if I do.  I can NOT condemn her, it's just not in me, and despite letting her go to what I thought was a secure home I still LOVE her.

Don't know what to do, I'm physically sick about this one.
~m

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

A Bright Day

I feel the need to atone a bit for my recent posts.  I have not been in any sort of great mood.  But today I am!

Scott's been thinking about purchasing a motorcycle trailer that we can tow behind our camp rig.  We've talked and dreamed & supposed (as we both enjoy doing).  He's way better than me at making "maybe" possible, and then following through.  I can talk 9 kinds of maybe, and wouldn't it, and perhaps, but I'm really good at deciding to hold off on that.  The few times I've jumped right in (and at least once convinced him that it was the right thing) we've both been happier for it, so I should just learn that that's part of us and go along.  He's good at making the things we want happen.

A few nights ago he brought up having a garage trailer to tow along with our retirement rig (which we're both enjoying shopping for).  Then he pointed out that having that same trailer to tow along now would be a great way to get our motorcycles to the neat places we camp (since we've both been forced to acknowledge that we can't do the sort of all bike road trips we'd LOVE to take on).  We've been some awesome places (Quartzsite being one of them) where having the motorcycles to go wander on would just be a delight.  In the process of that wondering I proposed that the same trailer would also be a shade/rainy day relaxing space for us beyond the 4' limits of our camper (which we still love, but not as much on days when we're both stuck indoors).  In my head that conversation ended on a sweet dream. 

Apparently in Scott's mind it ended on a "Make it happen" note.  So he did.  Today we both played hooky (with permission) and spent the day taking care of our "children" (you know; Lance & Dodge).  He found an amazing deal on KSL this morning and when he called the deal didn't sound too good to be true, so we climbed into the truck for a ride to Eureka.  As impulsive tag alongs go (for me) it was memorable.  We had a pleasant visit & ride together & as we neared our destination I had the treat of seeing a Gold Eagle scavenging a dear carcass on the roadside.  My only regret is that I didn't process what I was seeing in time to point it out to Scott.

We met some kindred spirits who live in Eureka & who were selling the right "needs a bit o' work" trailer.  Spent an hour with them observing, inspecting, testing & then buying & cleaning out the trailer.  Had a bit of an adventure getting it home (we're planning to completely replace the wiring anyhow so this will be our last no lights adventure).   We're being cautious to make too many plans right away.  We'll first repair the essentials (wiring, bodywork, tie downs for the bikes), then take on other projects as they become necessary.  Mostly we plan to set up tie downs and use bungees.  It doesn't need to be perfect to begin with.  I'm a little freaked out to be moving closer to our retirement (I really do like where we are) but I'm quite excited about this new part of our adventure.

Tonight we as we stood in the driveway supposing and sweeping cement dust out of the trailer it felt right.  Not brand new, not more than we could afford, not too much work, don't have to feel bad if it gets scratched...just right.  This trailer will serve us well, and help us have fun.

Today was a good day.

My Daddy's been on my mind a lot lately.  We haven't had a talk that I can remember, but I sure do feel like he's been around.  Perhaps it's the projects, it always seems like he's here helping whenever I take on a little bit more than I can handle.  His 'figure it out' mentality is one of the things I'm very glad to have inherited.  But mostly I just recognize the head pats;  Every now & then I get that awesome rumbly hug sensation.  It's nice.

Gonna sign off now & go help Scott snuggle Spazzy.  She's shedding and can't get enough grooming type attention.

-m